Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged all the political leadership to continue lending their helping hands to the federation in overcoming the economic challenges, which was requisite to financial and political stability in the country
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 19th Nov, 2024) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged all the political leadership to continue lending their helping hands to the federation in overcoming the economic challenges, which was requisite to financial and political stability in the country.
The prime minister also clearly linked the stability and peace in the country with complete elimination of the specter of terrorism, which had resurfaced its head recently in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Addressing a meeting of the apex committee of the National Action Plan attended by the political and military leadership, the prime minister said with the grace of Allah Almighty, the economic efforts and sincerity of purpose, showed by all the stakeholders in the governments from the provincial chief ministers to the federation, the country was moving on the path to stability.
He commended the efforts put forth by all the federal and provincial governments, saying that without it, they could not move forward.
The prime minister said the economic and political stability were interrelated with each other and no society could aspire to progress with these two vital factors.
“It is imperative for the economic and political stability that all the leadership should play their due role,” he added.
He also thanked the provincial governments for their support in getting the approval of IMF programme, adding that all the provincial chief ministers had fully supported it.
Prime Minister Sharif said that as result of these efforts, stock market was on the bullish trend, inflation dipped to a single digit, State Bank of Pakistan also curtailed its interest rates mark to 15 percent, besides country’s IT export witnessed a record surge while the remittances saw significant increase.
He opined that all the indicators were showing stability in the process, however, he stressed that country’s path to progress would open further when investment was enhanced.
The foreign investors could follow the local investors once they were encouraged to invest in various sectors.
The prime minister expressed the confidence that it would be the last IMF programme in Pakistan’s history, if they worked with honesty, integrity and dedication.
For how long, the country would depend on IMF programme? he posed a question and expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China for their financial support.
He also emphasized upon the need of broadening the tax net, besides overcoming the issues of leakage and evasion of billion rupees taxes, circular debt, gas and power theft which would supplement the national coffer, thus getting rid of the foreign debts. “All have to give lending hands; it is not about you and me; it is about us. Then the country will move forward,” he said, adding that during the past eight months, there was no governance scam which reflected the strength of the government.
He thanked the chief ministers for their massive efforts and focus on improvement of economy, adding Punjab chief minister led with agriculture sector reforms, while the KP chief minister also got similar legislation approved from his cabinet.
The Sindh chief minister was also making sincere efforts.
The prime minister also regretted that despite the valuable mineral wealth and brilliant minds the country possessed, billions of rupees had been wasted on litigation over Reko Diq and Chinot minerals reserves cases in the past.
“We have to move in unison, though it may be a difficult task but no nation can emerge successful without unity,” he observed and cited the examples of Japan and Germany, that emerged stronger after the World Wars.
The prime minister enumerating government’s efforts, said that the task force on power sector had successfully negotiated with the five IPPs and with these efforts, they were moving step by step towards the right direction.
He also underlined that today, the well to do segment of the society had to make sacrifices for the country’s prosperity.
The prime minister said the country’s progress and prosperity was linked with peace and end to terrorism.
Without blaming anyone, he said that he could say that during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure in 2014, they were succeeded in effacing the menace of terrorism which was also acknowledged by the world.
At that time all the representatives of the entire nation and military leadership had gathered at this place to take unanimous decisions, he recollected.
In the year 2018, terrorism was eliminated from the country and in this fight, about 80,000 people had sacrificed their lives whereas the country suffered from $130 billion losses.
He said, recently, this specter again raised its head in KP and Balochistan provinces which required questions to be answered.
If not eliminated completely, the prime minister said, all their efforts which he had elaborated at the economic and political stability would come to naught.
He termed terrorism as the huge challenge for Pakistan. Certain parts of KP southern districts and Balochistan province were witnessing the worst incidents of barbarity at the hands of terrorists and stressed that its head should be crushed.
The prime minister also asked for reconsideration of calls for political sit-ins at the high-level events including SCO Conference in Islamabad and advised the political leaders to ponder over it with cold minds.
He said the country was no doubt dear to everyone, but the choice was for them as the ‘time and tide wait for none’.
About other steps, the prime minister said that reforms were being taken in FBR to curb corruption and mismanagement.
He cited an incident in March this year, when an officer brought to the notice of his high ups, with a letter, that an account of 80-year-old woman was used with collusion of certain employees for the purpose of fake inversion.
It could have resulted in loss of billions of rupees to the country if the scam had taken place. An amount of Rs370 million was already embezzled, he added.
APP/irf
